Is foreign languages and translation a good career path?

Question

I already know 2 foreign languages at a mothertongue level. I also speak English, French and German. I am fond of foreign languages but I don't know if the job market requires interpreters or translators or if this career path offer professional and stable working situation. Would you recommend it?

Answer 1

Translation isn't about how many languages you speak but which ones you speak/understand very well. Typically, a translator will translate to his/her native language.

It's a good career if you love doing it, and don't mind the irregularity. Some weeks will be slow, some will be busy. You didn't mention your native languages, but there will be a lot of competition if you stick to English, French and German. Better take something more exotic, or study a specific field in your languages (it's called "a specialisation"). If you don't know which exotic language to learn, google "critical languages" and choose one of those

Answer 2

I actually don't think it's likely to be that great a career in the future. As more and more people speak English, it's becoming the lingua franca of the world. Many people are learning it. In Europe and some other parts of the world, a lot of people already speak more than one language anyway and rarely need a translator to manage with one another. I speak 3 European languages, but the people I deal with in the countries where they are spoken almost always speak good English.

You'd be better off if you spoke some non-European languages, so as to assist, perhaps, with refugees and immigrants in a given nation, and I think Chinese may prove very useful, but again, refugees and immigrants study the languages of the countries where they are settling, and many, many Chinese study English.

Still, studying Chinese and combining that with a business career could make for a good future.

Answer 3

No because of the compétition is high for these languages